He interacted with Riku on one side and Jace on the other, the interchanges not forced. Occasionally he evoked a grin but most of the numbers weren’t that funny. The complexity made Cyn’s jaw drop sometimes. But at the heart of the music always lay a simple melody, unforgettable and often heartbreaking. It took the shortcut through to the soul. Halfway through the gig Cyn realized she was breathing normally and she hadn’t changed her ice pack for a while, because it squished when she touched it. So Ray had forgotten too. At the end of the song she nudged him and handed him the old pack. They played her favorite, Salvation Song. She caught her breath, not in pain but at the sheer beauty of the construction, the way every instrument started at a different time with different tempos and then drew together as Zazz sang. His voice knitted everything into an unforgettable melody. The members of Murder City Ravens were clever, tricky and accomplished musicians but the audience didn’t need to know that.
